120 Besides drinking water, Enagic's machines produce four other types of water. Enagic recommends using very acidic "sanitary water" for household disinfecting, such as sanitizing cutting boards and knives. "Beauty water" helps close facial pores after washing with it, the company says. Neutral water is intended for taking medications and making baby formula; and "strong" Kangen water, a very alkaline water, is intended for "cleansing power" in such tasks as removing toilet stains or floor stains.

, Some doctors and scientists say the companies' claims aren't backed by good high-quality studies. "Human evidence is lacking, safety profile is lacking and it's very expensive," says Catherine Ulbricht, co-founder of National Standard Research Collaboration, a Cambridge, Mass. scientist-owned group that evaluates natural therapies. "There is no basis for any health claims at all" for alkaline drinking water, adds Santa Barbara, Calif., gastroenterologist John Petrini, past president of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. After it is digested, food and water goes into the stomach and—no matter what pH it was when it entered—ends up leaving the stomach at a pH of about 6.8, Dr. Petrini says. And no matter what you eat, your body has effective mechanisms to keep your blood in a narrow range between 7.35 and 7.45, he adds. Chemists say it's logical that acidic or very alkaline water could be useful for cleaning, but there's no evidence that the pH of water has any specific effect on skin or pores, says Washington, D.C., dermatologist Tina Alster.

107 The ingredient lists and nutritional information for food served in school lunches can also be a mystery. The Better Government Association had to submit a request under the Freedom of Information Act to obtain the nutrition for the Chicago Public School's chicken patty and other menu items. The chicken sandwich turned out to have dozens of ingredients including MSG, azodicarbonamide, and silicon dioxide (sand), among other things. MSG has been shown to cause allergic reactions, upset stomach, muscle tightness and fatigue.

Some things I learned about

Yevo School Luches. When you buy meat for a packed lunch, you control what you buy and its quality. Choosing organic meats will ensure ensure your child isn't being fed meat from animals given antibiotics, hormones, or GMO feed. Organic meats will also not contain chemical nitrates or nitrites, which are associated with increased risk for cancer.